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WordPress Help

How to use LiteSpeed Cache with WordPress.

Hostmate WordPress hosting runs on LiteSpeed, so the LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress plugin can use server-level page caching to serve repeat page views faster. Start with the basic cache enabled, confirm it is working, and only add optimisation features when you need them.

WordPress LiteSpeed Cache Page cache Purge cache Performance
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Step 1

Install LiteSpeed Cache.

In the WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New Plugin, search for LiteSpeed Cache, then install and activate the plugin.

Only use one full-page cache

If another plugin is already providing full-page caching, disable that page cache before enabling LiteSpeed Cache. Running two full-page caching systems at the same time can cause stale or inconsistent pages.

Screenshot placeholder WordPress Add Plugins screen showing LiteSpeed Cache
Install and activate LiteSpeed Cache from the WordPress plugin directory.
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Step 2

Enable the page cache.

Open LiteSpeed Cache → Cache → Cache and set Enable Cache to ON.

For most WordPress sites, the default cache settings are a good starting point. Save the change, then open the public website in a browser and check that the main pages work normally.

Screenshot placeholder LiteSpeed Cache → Cache screen with Enable Cache set to ON
Enable the main page cache before changing other optimisation options.
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Recommended Starting Point

Leave the advanced settings alone at first.

LiteSpeed Cache includes many extra performance tools, but you do not need to enable everything to benefit from page caching.

Page Optimization CSS and JavaScript minification, deferring and other front-end changes are optional. Test them individually because aggressive settings can affect page layouts, menus, forms or scripts.
Image Optimization Image optimisation uses LiteSpeed's online QUIC.cloud services and is separate from the basic page cache.
Crawler The crawler is not required for normal page caching and must also be enabled at the server level before it can run.
Change one thing at a time

If you want to tune LiteSpeed Cache further, enable one optimisation feature, clear the cache, then test the site on desktop and mobile before enabling another.

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Check the Cache

Verify that LiteSpeed is serving cached pages.

The easiest check is to open the site while logged out of WordPress and use your browser's developer tools.

  • Open the website in a private/incognito window or while logged out.
  • Open the browser developer tools and select the Network tab.
  • Reload the page and select the main HTML page request.
  • Look in the response headers for X-LiteSpeed-Cache.
  • The first request may show miss. Reload the page and a cacheable page should normally show hit.
Screenshot placeholder Browser Network response headers showing X-LiteSpeed-Cache: hit
A cache hit means the page was served from LiteSpeed Cache.
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Purge Cache

Clear cached pages when you need fresh output.

LiteSpeed Cache automatically purges related cached pages when WordPress content changes, so you should not normally need to clear the entire cache after every edit.

If you do need to manually clear the site cache, open LiteSpeed Cache → Toolbox → Purge and select Purge All LSCache. You can also use the LiteSpeed menu in the WordPress admin bar for common purge actions.

Do not purge constantly

Clearing the whole cache removes pages that LiteSpeed has already prepared. Use a full purge when it is actually needed, not as part of every normal WordPress edit.

Screenshot placeholder LiteSpeed Cache → Toolbox → Purge screen
Use Purge All LSCache when you need to rebuild the site's page cache.
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After Updates

Test the site after changing optimisation settings.

If you enable CSS, JavaScript or other page optimisation features, check the public site carefully after saving the change.

  • Check the home page and several internal pages.
  • Check mobile and desktop layouts.
  • Test menus, forms, popups and interactive elements.
  • Check WooCommerce cart and checkout pages if the site is a store.
  • If something breaks, disable the most recent optimisation change and purge the cache.
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Troubleshooting

What if every request is a cache miss?

If a cacheable public page continues to show X-LiteSpeed-Cache: miss after repeated reloads, first confirm that caching is enabled and that no other full-page cache or CDN cache configuration is interfering.

If you are a Hostmate customer and LiteSpeed Cache still does not appear to be working, open a support ticket and include the affected domain.

Cache not working Check Enable Cache, remove conflicting page-cache plugins and test again while logged out.
Site looks wrong Disable the last Page Optimization change you made, purge LiteSpeed Cache and test again.

Need Help?

Not sure which LiteSpeed settings to use?

Start with the basic page cache and default settings. If you are a Hostmate customer and want help with a specific cache or optimisation problem, contact Hostmate support.

Open a Support Ticket

This guide follows the current LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress documentation. Installation, Cache settings and Toolbox and purge controls are documented by LiteSpeed.